Method of and apparatus for removing the molten metal of salamanders



Oct. 27, 1942. F. H. N. GERWIG METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING THE MOLTENR METAL 0F SAL'AMANDERS Filed Sept. 16. 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 27, 1942.

F. H. N. GERWIG 2,299,892 ME:T HOD OF ,AND APPARATUS- FOR REMOVING THE MOLTEN M ETAL OF SALAMANDERS Filed Sept. 16, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I, V INVEIEITOR 1 s'mamn d I /mmwa Patented v Oct. 27, 1-942 UNlTED STAT Es mm jomce ivrs'rnon or AND arrma'rns non nsMovQ .ING THE MOLTEN M511, .9 8m

Mammns This invention relates to procedure and apparatus for removing the salamander from a blast furnace and has for an object not only the removal of the salamander but also the conserva tion of the metal which constitutes the sala mander.

A further object is to produce a method and apparatus for accomplishing the above-designated results which can be successfully employed even under congested conditions, i. e., where equipment or buildings closely surround the blast furnace and, therefore, take up such ground space as might ordinarily be employed as the run off space for the molten metalconstituting the salamander.

*The removal of a salamander may be necessitated by the removal, repairing, remodeling or rebuilding of the blast furnace. Where sufficient space is available for laying down adequate sand beds, the base of the furnace may be tapped and the molten metal 015 the salamanderrun out into his the run-oil or themolten metal of a salamander even under-conditions where space is not available for adequate sand beds.

A still further object is to produce such procedure and such apparatus which will facilitate the rapid cooling and the subsequent breaking up 01' the run of! metal.

a A further object is to remove the molten metal of the salamander from the furnace structure under conditions such that the chemical analysis thereof will closely correspond to the analysis of the iron ordinarily withdrawn from the furi nace during normal operations.

the sand beds and there accumulated in a pool or pools of such shallow depth as ilkfacilitate the rapid cooling of theinolten iron, the'breaking up of the solidified mass in chunks 0r particles of a size capable of being used s scrap and the removal of such-chunksei' pa" icles.

When it is understood'that'a salamander may contain about 1,000 tons of molten metal, it will be apparent that'considerable space is necessary; for the laying out of the sand beds'and that. where such space is not available in the immediate vicinity of the blast furnace, the salamander is allowedto solidify within the furnace and then is removed. A cold salamander can be removed in from two to six weeks, depending upon the size or the salamander and the facilities available around the furnace for breaking up and removing the mass of iron constituting the salamander. The estimated time of removal. does not include the period required for cooling the salamander to a removal temperature; consequently, it is apparent that where the salamander removal constitutes a part of a rebuilding, remodeling orrepairing program, the loss of time will, in itself, involve a tremendous financial loss.

' This will be apparent when it is understood that the time involved occasions not only the idleness of associated apparatus, but it also prevents theproduction of substantial amounts of pig iron. A conservative estimate discloses a loss of about $15,000.00 9. day based on the normal operations of an 800-ton blast furnace and $20.00 pig iron.

A specific object of my invention is the production of procedure and apparatus for accomplish- These and other objects are accomplished by means of apparatus illustrated in th accompanying drawings and the procedure employed in connection with that apparatus.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a diagrammatic and fragmental sectional view of the bottom portion of a blast furnace and illustrates the apparatus employed for removing and accumulating the molten metal of the salamander in accordance with procedure constituting my invention. j

Figur 2 is a transverse sectional viewon an enlarged scale of a tank such as may be employed in the removal of a salamander from the structure in which it is formed and such as is diagrammatically illustrated in Figure I.

Figure 3 is a top plan view, on a reduced scale, Q of the tank illustrated in Figure 2 and discloses a water delivery system which may be employed for the purpose of dissipating the heat of the molten metal and thus reducing the cooling period for such metal.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of apparatus such as is illustrated in Figure 1 and indicatesprccedure for successively filling a number of tanks in the operational removing the molten metal from the base of the blast Iumace. Figure 5 is a fragmental sectional view illustrating a structural detail of apparatus embodying my invention.

My invention contemplates the run off of the molten metal of a salamander, th accumulation of the metal so run oflf into one or more relatively deep pools, the rapid cooling of the metal in each such pool by subjecting it to the heat-dissipating efiect of a cooling medium so applied that the interior of the pool is subjected to the heatdissipating effect of a flow of cooling medium at one or more points throughout the extent of the pool and the use of the apertures, into which the flow of cooling medium is directed, in the subsequent breaking up or the solidified metal of available for the reception of explosive charges after the mass has cooled to a solidification temperature; and then breaking up the solidified mass by the detonation of explosive material in such aperture or apertures. The more specific application of the procedure of my invention contemplates employing such apertures in dissipating the heat of the molten metal and thus shortening the period of cooling of such metal to the solidification temperature. The apparatus embodying my invention is such as to accommodate the carrying forward of the procedure outlined.

Figures 1 and 4 illustrate the more or less usual arrangement of the blast furnace. In both figures, the blast furnace is diagrammatically illustrated at 6 and is provided with a fire brick or refractory lining l which extends downwardly to the hearth 8 of the furnace, i. e., for a substantial distance below, the iron notch of the furnace, the center line of which is designated by the dot-dash line 9 of Figure 1. In that figwe, I have diagrammatically illustrated the salamander at It! and have indicated it as a mass of metal below the center line of the iron notch and as encroaching upon the lining I and also upon the refractory brick constituting the hearth of the furnace.

It is well known that a salamander is the result of along period of furnace operation and that, after the furnace has been in operation for a long time, it includes such a mass of molten metal that the salamander does not cool to 'solidifying temperatures during the normal inaway a portion of the furnace structure shown at H, and then drilling or otherwise cutting through the lining I and the accumulation in the bottom of the furnace so as to form a tapped hole I2 which extends into the molten metal cavity of the salamander and provides an outlet for the molten metal. Before the tapped hole I2 is completed, 1. e., before molten metal is permitted to fiow therethrough, I provide means for receiving the molten metal and for conveying the metal to such means.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, the metalreceiving means may consist .of a number of tanks l3 so located that the molten iron of the salamander, issuing from the taphole 12, can be. conveyed to each tank by a gravity flow through troughs ll or similar conveying devices. The size of each tank will depend upon the conditions encountered in connection with each salamander-removing -operations, but each tank will preferably be capable of receiving several internal dimensions of the tanks illustrated in' the drawings are 30' x 10' x 6. Each of these tanks is provided with a refractory lining and the above dimensions are the inside dimensions of the lined tank. While the tanks are shown as of rectangular form, it will, of course, be understood that their specific shape, as well as their specific size, is immaterial, from the standpoint of this invention, and that the tanks will be designed, both as to size and shape, so as to best utilize the available space for collecting the molten iron of the salamander.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View, on enlarged scale, of one of the tanks l3. As there shown, it includes an outer shell I5 adequately supported by a framework including beams l6, gusset plates ll, struts ill-and a top structure IS. The top structure is secured to the struts and is. constructed in any suitable manner in order to resist the relatively large spreading force occasioned by the weight of the molten iron in the tank.

The shell is preferably made up of ordinary steel plates and, as previously stated, is provided with a protective refractory lining 20.

' The tank lining will, in most cases, be made from commercial sizes and shapes of refractory brick. but will be specially constructed in order to overcome the tendency of the bricks to float to the surface of the molten mass within the tank. That is to say, some adequate means will be employed for holding the lining in place on the shell i5. In Figure 2, I have shown each lateral wall of the shell provided with a linirig anchor in the form of a channel iron 20a rigidly secured to the shell in any inverted position. The bottom of the tank is also concave so that the lining for the bottom is in the form of a reverse arch. Such a lining, when properly built, will hold its place at the bottom of the tank. It will be understood that any suitable means may be employed for holding the lining in place on the shell I5.

In view of the fact that time will ordinarily be an important element in connection with the removal of a salamander, I note that the ceramic lining of each tank l3 will preferably be laid under conditions which will promote rapid drying. It is, therefore, suggested that an electric heating system be employed for drying out the lining and that such a system may be utilized in a way that the drying operation will be substantially complete when the last bricks constitilting the lining are laid.

For the purpose of facilitating the breaking up of the huge mass of solidified iron collected in each tank, I provide each tank with a series of downwardly extending thimble-shaped, refractory sleeves 2| which are located throughout the interior of the tank in relatively close spaced relationship and which extend from the top of the tank to a point near the bottom thereof.

The lower end of each sleeve is closed and it will be apparent that each such sleeve must be effectivelv anchored in order to resist the effect of its buoyancy in molten iron.

One such sleeve is illustrated in Figure 5 and, as there' shown, it 1? provided with an inner metal lining in the form of an open-ended tube or pipe 22 which not only forms a means for supporting the sleeve but also provides an interior passage through which cooling water mas aaeogseay i a means for supporting and anchoring the sleeves 2| in the desired positions within each tank l3.

Any suitable arrangement of piping may be employed for delivering cooling'water to each; sleeve 2| but in Figure 5 I have illustrated the upper end of the pipe 22 screwthreaded and asscrewed into the lower end ofzaf-cap 23 which is provided with two tapped extensions IQ and 25. The extension 24 is located atthfe, top of th cap adjacent the bottom and closed end of the sleeve 2|.

The extension 25 constitutes the water inlet- 2| are employed as heat-dissipating means, it is to the sleeve 2| and is adapted to receive apipe which forms a part of the water distributing system 28. The extension 24 is also adapted to receive a short section of pipe 21 which connects the pipe 26 to the water discharge system 29. Thus water entering each cap 23 passes downwardly ,through the pipe 22 to the bottom of the sleeve 2| and then out through the internal pipe 26 to the discharge system 29. The water delivered to somewhat above the highest level of molten metal within the.tank l3, downwardly to a point adjacent the'bottom oi the tank. Thedeliv'eryof cooling water to each sleeveZl and to the surface of the shell l5 aids in the cooling of the mass of metal delivered to the tank and thu shortens the cooling period.

. necessitates the removal of the salamander from the furnace structure. ,Where the metal of the- After a tank I3 is filled 'with molten metal of the salamander and that metal has been cooled substantially below the solidification temperature, the water piping of the systems 28 and 2915 removed from above-the tank and the caps 23 and depending pipes 26 are removed from each of the sleeve lining pipes 22, thus leaving open holes or apertures which are located in predetermined spaced relationship throughout the extent of the a solidified mass of iron contained within the tank.

Some or all of these apertures are employed as ing an aperture the explosive charge placed thereinmay be located intermediate the ends thereof and in the most efleqtive position from the standpoint of the application of disrupting forces to the mass of solidified iron. l

From the standpoint 10f locating the explosive charges it is not necessary for the sleeves 2| to extend downwardly-to points adjacent the bottom of the mass of iron, 1. e., from one side to the other of the mass, since the sleeves can be so 10- cated and their lengths sc -apportioned as to position each explosive charge in the end thereof but at the same time in a highly effective position within the mass of iron. It will, however, be ap-' pat that where the aperture-forming sleeves desirable "for the sleeves to in effect pass through the mass.

The size of each accumulated mass of iron and the fact that time is ordinarily an important element in connection with the removal oia salamander, makes it desirable to explode the charges of explosive material within the mass while the mass is within the shell l5 and the refractory lining 20. Under such circumstances, the lining and the shell, and possibly a substantial portion of the shell-supporting structure, will be destroyed, but 'allmetal parts can be conserved by a subsequent use as scrap.

I have described accumulating the molten metal of the salamander inrefractory lined metal tanks. It sho'uld, however, be' understood that within the broad contemplation of my. invention the accumulation can be. accomplished under varying conditions and' with various types and forms of apparatus so long as precautions are taken to prevent the accumulating mass of iron coming in contact with water or substantial amounts of moisture and so long as theaccumulaticn is accomplished in such a way as to form one or more charge-receiving apertures in the mass. After all or substantially all the molten iron is withdrawn from the salamander, the skull thereof can be readily crushed and broken into small particles,

thus facilitating the complete removal of the salamander.

withdrawal of the molten metal of a salamander immediately after the last cast before the repairing, rebuilding or reconstruction operation which salamander is allowed to cool slowly within the skull or remain within the skull for a substantial period after furnace operations have ceased, its metallurgical condition changes. with the result that it does not make good scrap, even when broken up into scrap-size particles. For this reason, I contemplate preparing the-tanks or other receptacles forthe reception of the molten metalwhile the blast furnace is still in normal operation so that'the withdrawal of the molten metal from the skull of the salamander may start immediately after the furnace is taken out of operation and while the metal of the salamander retains substantiallyall of its initial heat.

While I have described butone procedure for carrying forward my inventiomit will be apparent to those skilled in the-art that various changes, additions and omissions may be made. in the procedure and in the apparatus illustrated and described without departing from thejspirit and scope of my invention as set wimpy the appended claims. What I claim is: A method of removi g and onserving the -molten metal of a salamander which cons sts in flowing molten metal of the salamander into a relatively deep receptacle and around apertureforming devices, permitting such me al to solidify while such devices are in place therein, then emplaying apertures formed in the s lidified me al by such devices as receptacles for explosive material and then detonating such material Within s ch apertures.

2. A method of removing and conserving the molten metal'of a salamander which consists in flowing such metal around aperture-forming devices and so as to form a relatively deeii pool of such metal, delivering a cooling mediu 'rn'fto each such device while flowing the metal around the same, retaining such devices within the metal during solidification thereof, locating explosive charges in apertures formed in the solidified metal by such devices and exploding such charges.

3. A method of removing and conserving the molten metal of a salamander which consists in forming a flow aperture through the structure surrounding the salamander and into the cavity thereof containing the molten metal of the salamander, directing the flow of molten metal from such aperture into one or more relatively deep receptacles and around aperture-forming devices extending into such receptacles, delivering cooling medium to the interiors of such devices while flowing the metal around the same, placing a charge of explosive material in at least some of the apertures formed within the solidified metal by the inclusion of such devices and then detonating such charges.

4. A method of conserving the molten metal of a salamander which consists in providing relatively deep refractory lined containers for such molten metal, forming a flow aperture through the structure surrounding the salamander and into the cavity of the salamander containing such molten metal, delivering the flow of molten metal through such aperture into such containers and around heat-dissipating means located therein and then employing such means in the breaking up of such metal after it has solidified. I

5. A method of removing and conserving the molten metal of a salamander which consists in tapping the cavity of the salamander in which such molten metal is located, accumulating molten metal therefrom in a relatively deep pool and around a plurality of spaced aperture-forming devices, retaining said devices in place within the accumulating mass of metal during and after solidification thereof, then introducing explosive material into recesses formed in the solidified mass by said devices and then exploding said material to break up the solidified mass.

6. A method of removing and conserving the molten metal of a salamander, which consists in tapping the cavity of the salamander containing the molten metal of the salamander, accumulating such metal in a pool around a plurality of depending and spaced aperture-forming devices, retaining such devices in place within the accumulating and accumulated mass at least until solidification thereof to form open-ended apertures extending from one side substantially through such mass, and then employing such apertures in the operation of breaking up such mass.

7. A method of removing and conserving the molten metal of a salamander which consists in tapping the cavity of the salamander containing the molten metal of the salamander, acccumulating the metal flowing from such cavity in a pool and around spaced aperture-forming devices so located as to form spaced apertures in the accumulated pool extending from one side thereof to a point adjacent the other side, retaining such devices in place within the accumulating and accumulated mass of molten metal until after solidification thereof, locating a charge of explosive material at a point intermediate the ends of at least one such aperture formed within the solidified mass and then exploding said charge.

8. A method of removing and conserving the molten metal of a salamander which consists in creating a flow of such metal from the cavity of the salamander containing molten metal, accumulatingsuch metal in a mass while confining the same by refractory walls and while forming spaced apertures in the mass, locating explosive charges in some such apertures so formed and exploding such charges after the mass has cooled below the solidification temperature of the metal I comprising the same and while the mass is in contact with such refractory walls.

9. Apparatus for removing and conserving the molten metal of a salamander comprising a tank, a refractory lining therefor, aperture-forming means located within said tank, and means for delivering molten metal of the salamander to said tank.

10. Apparatus for removing and conserving the molten metal of a salamander comprising a receptacle for receiving such metal and a plurality of aperture-forming devices located within such receptacle and adapted to be surrounded by the molten metal delivered thereto, means for delivering a flow of cooling medium to each such device, and means for delivering molten metal 0 the salamander to said tank.

11. Apparatus for removing and conserving the molten metal of a salamander comprising a tank for receiving such metal, a refractory lining for such tank, a plurality of aperture-forming devices located in spaced relation and depending into such tank, means for delivering molten metal of the salamander to said tank and means for holding said devices .in place within the tank during delivery of molten metal thereto.

12. Apparatus for removing and conserving the molten metal of a salamander comprising a refractory lined receptacle, a plurality 6f apertureforming devices located in spaced relation within such receptacle, means for anchoring said devices in position within said receptacle, and means for delivering molten metal of the salamander to said receptacle and around said devices.

13. Apparatus for removing and conserving the molten metal of a salamander, comprising a refractory lined receptacle for receiving such metal, at least one aperture-forming device located within said receptacle, means for anchoring said device in place in said receptacle, means for flowing molten metal of the salamander into said re- ,ceptacle and around said device, and means for delivering a flow of cooling medium "to the interior of said device.

14. A method of removing and conserving the molten metal of a salamander, which consists in creating a flow of molten metal from the cavity of the salamander containing molten metal, accumulating the metal flowing from such cavity in a pool around a plurality'of depending spaced aperture-forming devices, retaining such devices in place within the accumulating and accumulated pool of such metal during and after solidification thereof and then employing the apertures so formed in such solidified mass of metal in applying disrupting forces to such mass.

15. Apparatus for removing and conserving the molten metal of a salamander, comprising a receptacle for receiving such metal, apertureforming devices located within the confines of said receptacle, means for delivering such molten metal to said receptacle and around said aperture-forming devices, and means for holding said devices in place while molten metal is delivered to said receptacle.

FREDERICK H. N. GERWIG. 

